Costa Pacifica Aids Syrian Refugees At Sea

As the Syrian civil war continues, citizens continue to flee their homeland in makeshift boats. For the second time this month, a cruise ship has been called in to aid in rescuing refugees from the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier this weekend, the Costa Pacifica was contacted by the Italian Coast Guard to aid in a rescue operation involving 100 Syrian refugees. The refugees were spotted by the Italian Coast Guard in a small, makeshift boat off the coast of Calabria, Italy. The refugees were initially being transferred to a small, coast guard boat. The Costa Pacifica then launched a lifeboat, helping pick up around 40 refugees. The refugees were taken aboard the Costa Pacifica, later being transferred to the Italian Coast Guard.

An unknown French guest aboard the Costa Pacifica captured the operation on his camera. His photo can be seen to the right. Guests aboard the Pacifica recall hearing screams coming from the small refugee boat: “help, war, Syria.”

This incident marks the second time a cruise ship has rescued Syrian refugees off the coast of Italy. Earlier this month, the Crown Princess rescued 100 Syrian refugees off the coast of Sicily.

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Mike Faust is an avid world traveler, often found traversing city streets in Asia and Europe rather than his home city of Boca Raton. Mike has touched down in 39 countries, set sail on 35 cruises, and flown over 400,000 lifetime miles.